|
Post by austinace on Oct 31, 2023 7:59:25 GMT -6
Note: For subscribers only.
|
|
|
Post by ATP on Oct 31, 2023 8:01:02 GMT -6
Oh, well another Twitter story comes to life because we haven't asked this question officially enough. Who would win? What's the difference? They aren't even up to speed on an "exhibition."
"Everyone" has asked ... but we are told that "when the time is right," until then, the Eutectics will be a much tougher test.
|
|
|
Post by Incognito on Oct 31, 2023 9:58:43 GMT -6
Speaking of completely meaningless drivel from sports writers, has there ever been any sports drivel more completely meaningless?
|
|
|
Post by E-Villan on Oct 31, 2023 11:20:03 GMT -6
Any publicity is good publicity. While simulations are basically meaningless, it does keep both programs in the public eye.
I would much rather Anthony fill the dead time with stuff like this than ignoring the program. Ignoring sucks, just ask the hockey team.
|
|
|
Post by Incognito on Oct 31, 2023 11:33:13 GMT -6
They don't play each other because one or both of them are afraid of losing to the other. There is no other reasonable explanation. Before USI became D1, the most likely fraidy cat was UE. Losing to West Side High School would cut to the ego bone. Now that West Side High wears big boy pants, UE is still likely to be the fraidy cat but by a smaller margin. Avoiding each other has transcended multiple coaching and athletic director changes. I doubt that UE is getting PR bonus points for a refusal to play USI. And having lost all four previous matchups, USI looks silly pounding their chests like Magilla Gorilla. The game would mean less than an MVC game to me, but it should be played every year and not as an exhibition. Coach Ragland should step up and be a bigger, more confident man than Marty, Walter and Todd.
|
|
|
Post by austinace on Oct 31, 2023 11:50:10 GMT -6
No real surprises in the CP article: - UE was real bad last year and wouldn't have beaten many D1 programs last year. So yes, the edge goes to USI in any simulations that is likely based on past results;
- UE appears to be (much) better this year on paper and I believe USI has lost more from last year and has more unknowns, so the "experts" are likely to give UE the edge in their predictions.
As far as who is afraid to play who: I would say that UE still has more to lose (if they lost to USI) as they play in a tougher conference and have been playing in D1 longer. With that said they should be playing each other, and I hope that it starts next year. I totally understand (for a variety of reasons) why (from UE's side) it has not happened in the first two years of the Ragland era (previous scheduling contracts; limited time to put things together last year; UE really needed to concentrate on rebuilding the foundation of their program first, etc.). But going forward, this game should be an annual game.
If it was going to happen this year, it appears that USI's weak games are on Nov 14th (Tifton University) and Nov 28th (East-West University). UE has a game at SEMO on Nov 15th (which I think was previously scheduled). So it looks like that was likely the only place on the schedule that they could have played. (Obviously the Chattanooga tournament where they play SEMO again came about late in the scheduling process as the Aces were supposed to play in the Las Vegas Classic.)
|
|
|
Post by Aces&Eights on Oct 31, 2023 11:50:38 GMT -6
They don't play each other because one or both of them are afraid of losing to the other. There is no other reasonable explanation. Before USI became D1, the most likely fraidy cat was UE. Losing to West Side High School would cut to the ego bone. Now that West Side High wears big boy pants, UE is still likely to be the fraidy cat but by a smaller margin. Avoiding each other has transcended multiple coaching and athletic director changes. I doubt that UE is getting PR bonus points for a refusal to play USI. And having lost all four previous matchups, USI looks silly pounding their chests like Magilla Gorilla. The game would mean less than an MVC game to me, but it should be played every year and not as an exhibition. Coach Ragland should step up and be a bigger, more confident man than Marty, Walter and Todd. All reasonable explanations. Rags and Stan Gouard are friends. Rags is an USI alum and was coached by Gouard. Rags has been on record a number of times this summer and fall that this match up will happen after each teams cycles through the game commitments already scheduled.
|
|
|
Post by Incognito on Oct 31, 2023 12:43:36 GMT -6
They don't play each other because one or both of them are afraid of losing to the other. There is no other reasonable explanation. Before USI became D1, the most likely fraidy cat was UE. Losing to West Side High School would cut to the ego bone. Now that West Side High wears big boy pants, UE is still likely to be the fraidy cat but by a smaller margin. Avoiding each other has transcended multiple coaching and athletic director changes. I doubt that UE is getting PR bonus points for a refusal to play USI. And having lost all four previous matchups, USI looks silly pounding their chests like Magilla Gorilla. The game would mean less than an MVC game to me, but it should be played every year and not as an exhibition. Coach Ragland should step up and be a bigger, more confident man than Marty, Walter and Todd. All reasonable explanations. Rags and Stan Gouard are friends. Rags is an USI alum and was coached by Gouard. Rags has been on record a number of times this summer and fall that this match up will happen after each teams cycles through the game commitments already scheduled. It will be worth the wait if we are able to put this annual conversation to rest. Rags and Gouard won't be coaches here forever so I hope the game takes root and survives after they are gone.
|
|
|
Post by Incognito on Oct 31, 2023 12:46:55 GMT -6
Any publicity is good publicity. While simulations are basically meaningless, it does keep both programs in the public eye. I would much rather Anthony fill the dead time with stuff like this than ignoring the program. Ignoring sucks, just ask the hockey team. Publicity is good if it is positive but I don't accept the false choice of this easy piece or being ignored. I would prefer another cameo on a newcomer than yesterday's cornbread stuffing.
|
|
|
Post by goacesgo on Oct 31, 2023 13:01:34 GMT -6
Since no one seems to want to answer the question, I think USI would have spanked us last year, and from what I’m reading to early to tell, but I think we could beat them this year. Just my thoughts.
|
|
|
Post by aceloverlarry on Oct 31, 2023 13:49:13 GMT -6
Since no one seems to want to answer the question, I think USI would have spanked us last year, and from what I’m reading to early to tell, but I think we could beat them this year. Just my thoughts. USI was really streaky last year, so it’s hard to say definitively, but if the good USI showed up, they would’ve absolutely spanked last years team. If the bad USI that lost to Chicago State and Marty’s EIU Team and got blown out in the OVC tournament showed up, it would have been quite the battle between two bad teams. Based on how they got up for the rest of their big time non con games though, they probably spank us 9 times outta 10 last year. Idk much about how their off-season recruiting went, but I don’t think they backfilled with anywhere close to the talent they lost. I’d give us the edge this season, but there’s a lot of unknowns on both teams so it’s hard to really guess on that one until we get further into the season.
|
|
|
Post by ATP on Oct 31, 2023 14:42:09 GMT -6
Since no one seems to want to answer the question, I think USI would have spanked us last year, and from what I’m reading to early to tell, but I think we could beat them this year. Just my thoughts. USI was really streaky last year, so it’s hard to say definitively, but if the good USI showed up, they would’ve absolutely spanked last years team. If the bad USI that lost to Chicago State and Marty’s EIU Team and got blown out in the OVC tournament showed up, it would have been quite the battle between two bad teams. Based on how they got up for the rest of their big time non con games though, they probably spank us 9 times outta 10 last year. Idk much about how their off-season recruiting went, but I don’t think they backfilled with anywhere close to the talent they lost. I’d give us the edge this season, but there’s a lot of unknowns on both teams so it’s hard to really guess on that one until we get further into the season. Pretty good analysis. They could play 8 minutes well enough to beat anybody and then go 12 minutes looking like a warmup team for a YMCA tournament. Gouard has some work to do.
|
|
|
Post by austinace on Oct 31, 2023 14:55:11 GMT -6
Since no one seems to want to answer the question, I think USI would have spanked us last year, and from what I’m reading to early to tell, but I think we could beat them this year. Just my thoughts. That’s pretty much what the article said/concluded.
|
|
tjwx4
Role Player
Posts: 122
|
Post by tjwx4 on Oct 31, 2023 15:00:09 GMT -6
Who cares?
|
|
|
Post by Incognito on Oct 31, 2023 15:07:54 GMT -6
I can't name a single player on their roster other than the Bosse player who went from fanfare to fizzle. I simply don't follow them.
|
|